Cosmetic preparations containing mink oil



COSMETIC PREPARATIONS CONTAINING MINK OIL Elizabeth von Baumann, New York, N.Y., assignor to The Minkolein Company, a corporation of New Jersey No Drawing. Filed July 19, 1956, Ser. No. 598,760 10 Claims. (Cl. 167-90) and hair. The most commonlyused bases used for this 7 purpose have been lard and lanolin. However, extensive uses of these substances as bases, or constituents of bases, of ointments, salves and creams have shown that they are not satisfactory because of the marked tendency of these materials to become rancid under atmospheric conditions. Furthermore, lanolin, or wool fat, has not been entirely satisfactory because of the strong odor possessed by this product and its effect on those having allergic reactions thereto. Petrolatum,.though not possessing any undesirable odor,lhas not by itself been found satisfactory for use in the manufacture of cosmetic preparations because of its inert constitution; it is relatively incompatible with aqueous materials which may be incorporated with and in the cosmetic preparation and it is emulsified with difficulty. Furthermore, petrolatum is not readily absorbed by the skin and hence is not particularly efiicient in distributing a medicament which may be contained in the ointment, salve or lotion throughout the disaffected area on the skin.

There has been an extensive demand by manufacturers of preparations such as cold creams, vanishing creams, rouges, lotions, lipsticks, protective creams and the like, for materials which may be employed in relatively small amounts to give a high degree of emolliency and skin penetration without turning rancid, and which would emulsify readily with water normally present in preparations of this type, and which would not leave a greasy residue on the skin, hair or scalp.

It is the principal object of the present invention to provide a base, or base adju'vant, for the manufacture of cosmetics of the nature enumerated above which combine a high degree of skin penetration with emolliency, is exceptionally stable, and which, because of its high absorptive characteristics, is substantially greaseless.

It is a further object of the present invention to provide an improved carrier for the adsorption of medicaments and pharmaceuticals into and through the skin. 7

It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a novel base for perfumes.

Other and further objects of the present invention will be evident from the disclosure hereinafter set forth.

As a result of extensive experimentation it has now been found that cosmetic preparations containing from about 1 to about 50% by weight of rendered purified mink oil have properties which make them far superior to cosmetic preparations heretofore manufactured. Thus,

States Patent 2,954,325 Patented Sept. 27, 1960 "ice , from more conventional bases, and are substantially odorless and do not become rancid. Furthermore, the mink oil employed in accordance with the present invention possesses markedly superior emulsification characteristics to compositions normally employed in cosmetics.

Mink oil, and in particular the oil obtained from mink that are raised for their fur on mink farms, sometimes called ranch mink, is a clear, yellowish liquid, with a characteristic fixed-oil odor and a bland taste. It is insoluble in water and substantially so in the lower alco hols, but readily soluble in CHCl CCl (C H O, (CH CO, and benzene.

Mink grown in captivity for their furs are fed a rich diet consisting of fresh beef, fish, tripe, liver, heart, udders, cod liver oil, and cereals. Horse meat and whale meat are sometimes added, as are vitamins and vegetable concentrates. The mink are confined in cages, and on this carefully controlled diet, they develop a layer of grayish-white fat, ca. 4-5 oz. per animal, which must be stripped from the hide at the time of pelting. The unique quality of the fat and the oil renderedtherefrom may at least in part be due to the richness of the diet. Q

The grayish fat is scraped from the under side of the pelt and warmed until the fat has liquified. The oil is then strained through cloth or glass wool to remove any hair, meat, etc. that may be present. 'The oil is then filtered through paper or put through a pressure filter. The oil is then usually permitted to stand for a period of one or two Weeks, and then filtered again to remove any sediment that may form.

The oil may be further purified by one or more of several processes.

(1) The oil is warmed to about -60 C. and clean air is pumped through the oil to remove color and odor.

(2) The oil is allowed to percolate through sand and then through a column of natural or synthetic resins.

(3) The oil may be placed in a pressure container and superheated steam passed through. In this process the oil is permitted to stand and then filtered to remove any water that collects in the container.

A sample of mink oil rendered from the fat had the inspection. shown in column A. Column B shows the ranges of these inspections of a large number of mink oil samples:

Specific Gravity 0 9122 Refractive Index Iodine (Hanus)-. 4 76.7-88.0. Sapomfication Valu 194-208.

' Acid Value ml 5.1-10.8.

Surface Tension (Dynes/cm.) 31.0@29 30-32. Optical Ro [a]=0.0 0.0. U.S.R. (USP XIV) 0.2% 0.1-0.3. Sedimentation (USP XIV) N egllgible Negligible.

3 TEST 1 The surface tension of an oil is a measure of its permeability, ease of penetration, and spreadability. In the table below, the surface tensionof mink oil is compared with that of representative animal and vegetable oils. The measurements were obtained by the Du Nuoy tensiometer at 265 C.

Sweet almond oil 34.6 Mink oil 34.9 Persic oil 35.1 Neats-foot oil 36.7 Corn oil 37.5 Lanolin Semi-solid Lard Semi-solid Stearin (beef) Semi-solid These data show that mink oil has a substantially lower surface tension than the animal oilsand fats customarily employed in cosmetics.

TEST ID Representative animal and vegetable oils were tested chromatographically, by suspending strips of filter paper 1 cm. x 35 cm. The height to which the oil ascended is a measure jointly of surface tension and viscosity.

1 By pressing the end of the filter paper into the fat.

This test, along with Test I, points up clearly the high penetrability and permeability of compositions containing mink oil as a constituent.

TEST 111 .An important and highly desirable property of an oil employed in cosmetic preparations is its ready emulsifiability. This is true not only for those preparations which are to be employed for cleansing purposes and soaps, but also preparations such as protective creams which are to be later removed by washing. The following demonstrates the outstanding properties of mink oil in this respect.

In this test, 5 ml. of a 5% aqueous solution of Dycopan, a commercial detergent marketed by the Diversey Corporation of Newark, New Jersey, wasshaken for 5 seconds with 1 ml. each of the followingoils in'a calibrated glass cylinder and the time of separation of the oil was noted.

Oil Separation Time No separation after 72 hours.

Sweet Almond 011.- 2 hours. Persie i1 Do. Corn Oil Do. Lanolin..- No emulslficatlon. Lard Do. Beet Stearim. Do.

TESTIV 4. separation of cream from the bottom glass cylinder was noted.

of the calibrated The mink oil emulsion was of exceptionally fine texture, and the creaming thereof much slower than with the other oils.

TEST V In an odor-stability test, it was found, surprisingly, that mink oil exposed to the atmosphere for one year developed neither an odor nor exhibited any evidence of rancidity. On the other hand, other animal oils such as lard, lanolin, neats-foot oil and stearin readily develop unpleasant odors and turn rancid on relatively short exposure to atmospheric conditions.

TEST VI Skin absorption was tested by placing 0.01 ml. of mink oil on the skin. This was absorbed ahnost immediately. On the other hand, lanolin (0.01 g.) when placed on the skin remains as a greasy spot and is sticky after 20 minutes.

The following examples are illustrative of compositions containing milk oil in accordance with the present invention. It is to be understood that the present invention is not intended to be limited to the specific compositions produced in accordance with these examples, but they are given merely to illustrate the various products which may be prepared. From these examples it will be evident to those skilled in the art that a large number of cosmetic preparations could be prepared in a similar manner.

Example 1 Cold cream type: G. Propylene glycol monostearate 6.5 Mink oil (4%) 4.0 Mineral oil 24.0 Triethanolamine 1.5 Water 7 64.0

Odor (perfume), q.s.

Warm all ingredients except the perfume in a glass or porcelain container at 70 C. Remove from heat and stir until the mixture is almost at room temperature. Incorporate perfume and stir until cool. The mink oil may be varied from 1% to 15% by replacing an equal quantity of mineral oil.

Mix all ingredients at 70-80 C. until dissolved and stir until. cool. Add perfume when mixture is almost cool and stir well. The mink oil content may be varied from 1% to 10% without significant change in consistency.

solved, stir until almost cool. Add perfume and stir well, or pass through homogenizer. The mink oil may be varied from 2% to in this preparation without materially affecting the consistency. 1

Example 4 Hand lotion: G. Propylene glycol monostearate 2.0 Mink oil 3.0 Stearic acid 6.0 Triethanolamine 1.0 Glycerin 3.0 Water 85.0 Perfume, q.s. 100.0

Mix and warm all ingredients to 70-80 C. Stir the melted mixture until cool. Add perfume if desired. The mink oil may be varied from 1% to in this preparation.

Example 5 Hand protective cream (silicate type): G. Mink oil 5.0 Sodium stearate 5.0 Glycerin 25.0 Sodium silicate (40% soln.) 35.0 Water 30.0 Perfume, q.s. 100.0

Warm all ingredients (except sodium silicate solution) to 7080 C. Stir and add sodium silicate solution While mixture cools. Add perfume if desired when mixture is cool and stir thoroughly. The mink oil may be varied from 2% to 10% in this preparation.

Example 6 LipstickOil-wax type base: Percent Beeswax 50 Mink oil 50 Melt the wax, add the mink oil and mix well. While the mixture is still molten, pour into lipstick mold and cool until solidified. The mink oil may be varied from 40% to 70% Lipstick base: G. Beeswax 40.0 Mink oil n 30.0 Coca butter 20.0 Lanolin (anhydrous) 5.0 Mineral oil 5.0

The mink oil content may be varied from to 50% To each of these bases may be added the usual coloring agents. The materials may then be put through a colloid or roller mill and shaped into the ordinary lipstick form.

The above preparation may also contain perfume and, if desired, antioxidants and preservatives, such as methyl and propyl parasept, nordihydroguaiaretic' acid, and the like, in the amounts of 0.01% to 0.20%.

Other preparations that may be made toinclude mink oil, and that are beneficiated thereby, are soaps, shaving creams, both lathering and brushless, vanishing creams, cleansing creams, medicated creams, shampoos, skin oils and the like. Thus, medicated ointments and salves may also be prepared, as for example, phenol ointments, sulfur ointments, belladona ointment, iodine ointment and the like, all by standard methods. In these preparations, as in all the above, the mink oil may be added to or substituted for the animal, vegetable and mineral oils normally employed in these preparations. Thus, in a brushless shaving cream prepared by reacting, say, 8 parts of l2-hydroxystearic acid and 8 parts of stearic acid with 2 parts of lanolin, 2 parts of triethanolamine, 1 part potassium hydroxide and parts of water, the lanolin may be in part or completely replaced by an equivalent amount of mink oil.

As a medicated salve or ointment, the following is an illustration. 7

and readily into the skin; so rapidly, in fact, that the presence of salicylate is detectable in the urine after a few minutes, by the ferric chloride test.

Mink oil may also be used as a base for perfume. The process is essentially that of enfleurage.

Example 9 An open container of perfume oil is suspended above an open container of mink oil in a vacuum desiccator. The desiccator is evacuated to a pressure of about mm. (of Hg) and air is permitted to leak in slowly for about an hour until room pressure is attained. The stop-cock of the desiccator is then closed, and the system allowed to stand for a week. The mink oil absorbs the odor of the perfume oil and may be used as a perfume.

Example 10 A container one-half full of mink oil is closed with a cap which has been impregnated with perfume oil. Gauze imbued with perfume oil may be attached to the under side of the closure. After two weeks the mink oil has absorbed sufficient perfume oil to be used as a perfume.

It will be evident from the above discussion, tests, illustrations and examples that creams, cosmetics, ointments and salves prepared in accordance with the present invention have properties which make them far more suitable than similar products containing conventional ingredients. The term cosmetic preparations employed in the specification and the claims is intended to include ointments, salves, creams, rouges, liniments, lotions, brilliantines and other cosmetic preparations of the type disclosed in the specification.

What is claimed is:

1. An improved cosmetic preparation containing an effective amount of mink oil obtained from ranch mink, said oil being liquid at room temperature.

2. A cosmetic preparation containing from about 1% to about 50% of refined mink oil obtained from ranch mink, said oil being liquid at room temperature.

3. An improved cosmetic cream containing from about 1% to 20% refined mink oil obtained from ranch mink, said oil being liquid at room temperature and having an iodine number value in the range of from about 76.7 to about 88.0.

4. An improved medicated composition comprising a medicament incorporated in refined mink oil obtained from ranch mink, said oil being liquid at room temperature and having an iodine number value in the range of from about 76.7 to about 88.0.

5. A cosmetic emulsion comprising glyceryl monostearate, stearic acid, glycerine, water, petrolatum and from about 2% to about of refined mink oil obtained from ranch mink, said oil being liquid at room temperature and having an iodine number value in the range of from about 7 6.7 to about 88.0.

6. A cosmetic emulsion comprising water, a mineral oil, a glycol ester, and refined mink oil obtained from ranch mink, said oil being liquid at room temperature and having an iodine numbervalue in the range of from about 76.7 to about 88.0.

7. The composition of claim 6 containing an alkanol amine.

8. The preparation of claim 1 wherein said oil has an iodine number value in the range of from about 76.7 to about 88.0.

9. An improved cosmetic preparation containing an effective amount ofmink oil derived from the fat obtainedfrom the underside of pelted ranch mink pelts.

10. The composition of claim 9 wherein said preparation contains from about 1 to about of said oil and said oil has .an iodine number value of from about 76.7 to about 88.0.

References Cited in the file of this patent .UNITED STATES PATENTS Sparhawk Jan. 30, 1945 OTHER REFERENCES Greenberg: Handbook of Cos. Materials, Intersci. Pub. Inc., N.Y., 1954, pp. 222, 223.

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Bailey: Ind. Oil and Fat Prod, Intersci. Pub., N.Y., 1945, pp. 3, 202-205, 207-221, 431, 432, 441-446, 451, 452, 460-463, 469, 470, 499, 500, 519-521.

Harry: Modern Cosmeticology, Leonard Hill Ltd., London, vol. 1, 1955, pp. 265, 478.

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1. AN IMPROVED COSMETIC PREPARATION CONTAINING AN EFFECTIVE AMOUNT OF MINK OIL OBTAINED FROM RANCH MINK, SAID OIL BEING LIQUID AT ROOM TEMPERATURE. 